A PSNI sergeant who "cunningly" stole from Enniskillen ASDA store twice was jailed today (Monday) for a total of six months.
Judge Neil Rafferty QC told Sergeant Linda Totten that while the public expected those entrusted to uphold the law, she had brazenly gone into the Enniskillen store "to steal".
"This is a mature woman who deliberately and with premeditation went to that store to steal and did so on two occasions," said the Crown Court judge, who added given her police service and medical condition he would temper justice with mercy.
"Nevertheless it is my view that the offending in this particular case was so serious, so premeditated and so culpable that only an immediate custodial sentence will suffice," said Judge Rafferty.
In his summing up, Judge Rafferty also cleared ASDA staff of any wrongdoing in apprehending Totten.
The disgraced policewoman of 27 years, had accused staff of "'homophobia, bigotry, prejudice and racism and motivated by malice".  But Judge Rafferty said he wanted to make it "absolutely clear that these allegations had no basis in my view whatsoever".
The ASDA staff had behaved, he added, at all times with "properly, lawfully and responsibility" and that there should be "no tinge of suspicion" concerning them as "these allegations are baseless".
Today Defence lawyer Liam McStay said Totten is "facing imminent disciplinary proceedings" and her livelihood and reputation are now completely at an end.

Prosecuting barrister James Johnston said that the sergeant was caught using the modus operandi of loading her trolley with shopping on top of which she placed a cardboard box of cheap items which she then went to pay for.
Although caught on CCTV on both occasions, when challenged, Totten told ASDA staff she had paid for the bulk of the shopping and only needed to pay for those items in the box.
Last November a jury took less than an hour to convict the 50-year-old of being a shoplifter despite her claims she was no thief but tasked to "keep the law, not break it".

She had denied two charges of stealing from ASDA's Enniskillen store, one for a trolley full of unknown goods on December 20, 2013 and a second for taking over £155 worth of goods four days later on Christmas Eve.